


nightmares

by jamesbchnnbarnes



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bathtubs, Bucky Barnes Has Nightmares, Bucky Barnes Has PTSD, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Steve Rogers Has PTSD, i think?? listen tags are gr9, its a little sad but like steve makes things better, its cute i swear, steve is an amazing boyfriend/partner, this isnt even a thousand words and it pains me so damn much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 08:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11181156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesbchnnbarnes/pseuds/jamesbchnnbarnes
Summary: Steve had never been a deep sleeper, even after the serum.





	nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> okay, fuck it lets write another shit ass fic about stucky. this one will contain nightmares because i'm a sucker for a sad bucky with nightmares. why do i like seeing my faves sad??? it hurts??? yet i still read shit that makes them sad??? 
> 
> well, now i get to write about it and it'll be gr9. i wrote this while listening to sign of the times by harry styles because 1) it's fucking amazing and 2) it makes me feel so god damned much and stove and borky also do that to me
> 
> (summary is the first line of fic once again)

Steve had never been a deep sleeper, even after the serum. Before, it had been a combination of his poor health and restless attitude. Now, it was also his restless attitude and nightmares.

 

Just because he was Captain America didn't mean he walked out of the war and ice unscathed. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (or simply PTSD as Sam says) plagued Steve and there was nothing he could do about it.

 

It wasn't obvious at first. Steve was able to have normal (somewhat, he woke up in the 21st century) days without anything going wrong. Then the nightmares began.

 

First, he dreamt about his mother dying again. He didn't think much of it as he would have nightmares about Sarah's death before waking up out of the ice. Then, it would be about Peggy. Peggy being with him in the plane as it was crashed into the ice, her not surviving like he did, Peggy dying before he could see her again.

 

Nightmares were a rare occurrence for Steve now, but before the happened every night.

 

He wasn't alone though, Bucky was the same.

 

PTSD can be triggered by anything a person has experienced that caused them great trauma, fear, or pain. And while Steve had learned to deal with his PTSD for a while, he still had some flare ups with it, but he managed.

 

Bucky was just learning about the great effects of his own PTSD. The most common one was his nightmares.

 

Steve's eyes opened and turned to the figure lying on the bed next to him that was shaking.

 

He got up from his sleeping position fast and went to touch Bucky.

 

"Buck, are you okay? Bucky," Steve questioned and laid a hand on Bucky's shoulder.

 

The shaking continued and Steve could hear short, shallow breaths of air coming from Bucky.

 

"Bucky, it's Steve. I'm here, Bucky, Listen to my voice, baby."

 

At the sound of Steve's voice, Bucky shot up and took a big gulp of air and let it out, his chest was trying to find a calm rhythm but was erratic in its wake.

 

"Bucky," Steve said and moved on the bed to be in front of Bucky's face, all while keeping his hand on Bucky's shoulder.

 

Bucky's eyes were fixated on nothing, having a glassy and far away look. He had a cold sweat over most of his body but was most obvious at the hairline and forehead.

 

Steve put both of his hands on Bucky's shoulders and said, "Bucky, you need to get out. Listen to me and get out."

 

Bucky either couldn't hear Steve or was still stuck in his nightmare, so Steve pushed Bucky back onto the bed and laid his own body over Bucky's and wrapped his arms around Bucky's midsection and laid his head next to Bucky's.

 

"Follow my breathing, Buck," Steve pleaded.

 

He started to breathe along with Bucky's own erratic breathing but then started to slow his own down to try and trick Bucky's body to follow his as they were in sync with Bucky's previously.

 

And like that, Bucky's breathing seemed to slow down into calmer breaths.

 

Steve picked his head up and look at Bucky, who's eyes were starting to break away from their hazy state.

 

"Bucky," Steve whispered near Bucky's ear, "You gotta wake up, baby."

 

A few minutes later, Bucky was conscious and croaked out, "Steve?"

 

Steve let out a sigh and got up and off of him, "Yeah, Bucky?"

 

Bucky let out a shuddery breath, "Are you here?"

 

"I am Bucky, it's okay."

 

Bucky looked at Steve, and Steve could see the tiredness behind Bucky's eyes.

 

"Can we take a bath? I kinda of have sweat all over me, and you, I guess."

 

Steve let out a small chuckle, "Of course, Buck. Let's go take a bath."

 

Bucky smiled just a little bit and Steve took Bucky's hand and walked them to their bathroom.

 

Steve filled the bathtub with water and added a bit of soap to create some bubbles and grabbed two washcloths from the closet. Bucky was sitting on the closed toilet seat and had his head hanging down.

 

"It's okay, Buck," Steve crouched down to look at Bucky's face.

 

A long sigh escaped from his partner's mouth. "I just want to sleep without having nightmares," exasperated Bucky.

 

Once the tub was filled, they stripped off their clothes and climbed into the bath.

 

Steve put his back at one edge of the tub to lay against and let Bucky in between his legs to lie his back against Steve's chest.

 

Steve washed off the sweat on Bucky and the sweat that was on him and they sat in the bathtub for a while in the hot water and bubbles and let the calm take over.

 

When the water started to cool down a few minutes later, Steve and Bucky got up and wrapped themselves in towels.

 

Steve let the water out of the tub and walked back into his and Bucky's room to where Bucky was already changed into some sweatpants and was changing the sheets on their bed.

 

He put some boxers on and came up behind Bucky and wrapped his arms around his partner.

 

Bucky stopped making the bed and sighed.

 

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

 

"I know," Bucky murmured, "I'll tell you in the morning."

 

"Okay,"

 

Steve helped Bucy with the finishing touches and they both got back into bed. Steve lied down of his back and felt Bucky shift over and curl himself around Steve, lying his head on Steve's chest.

 

"Goodnight, Bucky."

 

"Night, Steve."

 

They both fell asleep for the rest of the night with dreams, no nightmares.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm mad at myself that this is not 1,000 words. but, i hope it's alright. i do not have PTSD myself so i don't know if i got anything wrong or said something stupid. the thing where steve lays on bucky and has bucky mimic his breathing probably doesn't work, but it's there anyway.
> 
> leave kudos or comments or whatever people do, it's cool to see feedback.


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